Patient Education Committee

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) Patient Education Committee works to improve the quality of patient care and promote patient safety through educational efforts that recognize patients as integral members of the surgical team. The Committee’s aim is to help patients and their significant others become thoroughly informed about their operation, provide evidence to guide them in their decisions, and empower them with the knowledge and skills necessary to participate in their surgical care and continued postoperative care upon discharge.

Goals

Create and evaluate patient education resources in various formats supporting patients with evidence-based education to guide them in their decisions and empower them with the knowledge and skills necessary to participate in their surgical care and continued postoperative care upon discharge.

Develop efficient, cost-effective, system-based programs that support surgeons with patient education resources that encourage active patient participation and meet the current standards and guidelines for informed consent and patient education. Working in collaboration with all specialty associations, all practice settings will be supported with patient education resources that maximize patient safety and participation.

Promote patient education programs that emphasize the critical role of patients as essential members of the surgical team as identified within the new paradigms of surgical care, the core competency of system based practice, and patient safety.